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1964 Dutch Grand Prix
|poletime = 1:31.2 |fastestlap = 1:32.8 |fastestlapdriver = Jim Clark |fastestlapnation = GBR |fastestlapteam = |fastestlapnumber = 6 |winner = Jim Clark |winnernation = GBR |winnerteam = |second = John Surtees |secondnation = GBR |secondteam = |third = Peter Arundell |thirdnation = GBR |thirdteam = }} The XII Grote Prijs van Nederland, otherwise known as the 1964 Dutch Grand Prix, was the second round of the 1964 FIA Formula One World Championship, held on the 24th of May 1964.'GRAND PRIX RESULTS: DUTCH GP, 1964', grandprix.com, (Inside F1 Inc., 2016), http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr123.html, (Accessed 22/06/2016) Staged at the popular Zandvoort circuit amid the Dutch sand dunes, the 1964 edition of the Dutch Grand Prix would be remembered for an excellent display by defending World Champion Jim Clark. Having been denied a victory in Monaco once again, the Scot had arrived in the Netherlands hoping to get back to winning ways. Clark, however, would have to settle for second in qualifying as Dan Gurney earned their maiden pole position with a new circuit record. It would be Scotland versus New York off the line, and with better line into Tarzan, the green-gold Lotus was able to pull into the lead of the race. Gurney also got caught out by Graham Hill who surged into second, with a fast starting Peter Arundell getting his Lotus into fourth. John Surtees, however, was the man on the move, with the Englishman picking off car after car to climb into second in the first quarter of the race. Shortly after the scarlet claimed second, Gurney suffered a steering failure and so dropped out, joined later on on the sidelines by Jack Brabham in the sister car. Clark, meanwhile, was dancing through the dunes claiming fastest lap as he built a minute lead to the rest of the field. Surtees did well to stay within a minute of the charging Scot, while a misfire for Hill saw him lose out to Arundell just before half distance. The rest of the race was largely undramatic, battles in the lower orders punctuated by the green-gold Lotus as the Scot came to lap everyone bar Surtees at least once on his way to an eleventh career victory. Surtees and Arundell completed the podium, while Hill, Chris Amon and Bob Anderson rounded out the scorers. Background A new organisation was created to run the 1964 edition of the Dutch Grand Prix, with eighteen invitations sent to complete a strong looking, if slightly small grid for the second race of the season.D.S.J., 'The Dutch Grand Prix Clark, Lotus and Climax Uncatchable', motorsportmagazine.com, (Motor Sport Magazine, 01/07/1964), http://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/july-1964/23/dutch-grand-prix AND http://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/july-1964/26/practice-times, (Accessed 22/06/2016) A fair number of entries were handed to privateers, headlined by popular home hero Carel Godin de Beaufort and his aging Porsche 718, the Dutchman still unable to get his hands on a newer piece of equipment. When refused their entry after running out of race worthy machinery, Bob Anderson and Jo Siffert were added to the entry list, the latter retiring his cult followed "Siffert Special" Lotus 25 to race a brand new Brabham BT11. The factory teams were led by , who had two new 158s on display for the first time, Lorenzo Bandini finally getting his upgrade although his old car was held in reserve. Their Italian based rivals, Scuderia Centro Sud were among the privateers, using a pair of ex-factory spec-BRM P57s, and actually managed to arrive having missed the Monaco Grand Prix two weeks earlier. Tony Maggs and Giancarlo Baghetti would hope to prove to their former employers that they still had the talent, and speed, to put the older cars through their paces. were in a strong position ahead of the second round, Jack Brabham and Dan Gurney set to use their older, but well refined, BT7s once again. There was also a fair amount of interest for the British based outfit, with several BT11s among the privateers, some using BRM engines while others used the conventional Climax. As well as Siffert and Anderson, Jo Bonnier would use a BT11, the RRC Walker Racing Team trading in their older for the latest product of Brabham's new enterprise. On the topic of Cooper, the works team would be fielding the latest product of the factory, with Bruce McLaren getting some time in the new Cooper T73 after his Monaco problems were resolved. Without the need to support RRC Walker, the team could throw their full weight at their new cars, although the amount of inter-team support often varied race to race. , meanwhile, arrived with their pair of new cars, fresh from their glorious run in Monaco, and hoping that fortune would favour them once again. Out in force, as usual, were Team Lotus, with Jim Clark and Peter Arundell set to compete with their updated Lotus 25s as they had done in Monte Carlo. Reg Parnell Racing also had a pair of 25s, their cars older editions that had been rebuilt after numerous accidents over the previous two years by Trevor Taylor. Adding to this compliment were the large number of reserve entries by the privateers, many holding either an ex-factory 25, or the customer Lotus 24 back in case their newer challengers faltered. The Championship was barely a race old, so it was no surprise that Graham Hill, race winner in Monaco, led the standings after one race. Team mate Richie Ginther made it a BRM one-two at the top of the standings in both Championships, the American's second place denying points to everyone else, with Team Lotus' Arundell in third. Clark was lying in fourth having been denied in the principality once again, while Bonnier and Mike Hailwood found themselves on the board early on. Entry list The full entry list for the is outlined below: Practice Overview Qualifying With Zandvoort standing alone among the dunes, practice could be spaced out throughout the weekend, something of a rarity in Formula One's earliest days. The first session opened on Friday morning before an additional session after lunch the same day, both held in dry, warm conditions. A third session on Saturday afternoon gave everyone six hours of total practice time, with the top drivers hunting down Jim Clark's circuit record of 1:31.6. Report Straight out onto the circuit was team owner Jack Brabham, the Australian seeking a quick time early on while the rest of the field steadily built up speed. Like Clark and team mate Dan Gurney, Brabham was looking to qualify for the Indianapolis 500, but decided that he would jet off to America straight after the first session in order to get to Indianapolis to qualify before returning to Zandvoort for the race. Despite suggestions that this was disrespectful to the Dutch Grand Prix organisers, the Australian set a time ultimately good enough for seventh, despite missing the better conditions in the two afternoon sessions. Indeed, there would be an epic battle for pole on Friday afternoon, with Gurney and Clark exchanging record times in their search for pole. First blood went to Gurney, the New Yorker breaking the circuit record before the end of the first session as Team Lotus tested Lotus 33 parts on their two cars. Clark ended that session half a second down, having spent some time running at a lower pace to show team mate Peter Arundell the way round the circuit, although the Scot would be on top form in session two. Once Lotus released Clark from his teaching duties, the #18 green-gold machine steadily wound up the pace, and soon Gurney's time was under threat. Also on the move was Graham Hill, the Englishman joining the leading duo in the sub-1:32.0 bracket although he was still some way back. Just before the end of the session, Clark roared past the pits with a 1:31.3, quicker than Gurney had managed all weekend, until the New Yorker charged past moments later to snatch pole with a 1:31.2. The Saturday session saw Clark and Gurney have to stick with their times from Friday, although Hill managed to get within a tenth of the leading pair to complete the front row. Elsewhere, Jo Siffert finally managed to get his new car onto the track, the being freshly built and untested, meaning he would start at the back of the grid. There was also a nasty moment for Tony Maggs in the ex-factory , with the South African managing to roll the car after running wide to end his weekend due to unrepairable damage. Qualifying Results The full qualifying results for the are outlined below: ** Maggs was unable to start after his practice accident. Grid Race Sunday dawned bright and warm, and well before the 3:15 pm start the circuit was packed with fans from the Netherlands and abroad. After a series of support races for the native drivers, the Grand Prix cars were wheeled onto the circuit, before a warm-up lap just before the start. A small delay meant the cars pulled onto the grid almost ten minutes later than planned, with the start poised to set the 1964 Dutch Grand Prix in motion. Report sweeps through the first corners at Zandvoort at the head of the field.]] An incredibly smokey start, much to the delight of the fans, saw Dan Gurney, Jim Clark and Graham Hill slither into action from the front row. All three kept the throttle wide open off the line, making equally smokey starts into Tarzan, going line astern into the first corner of the race. Gurney got on the brakes first, the New Yorker having the tightest line on the inside, while Clark muscled his car onto the racing line to sweep ahead of Hill, the Englishman braving it around the outside of the severely cambered corner with nowhere else to go. An impressive opening sortie saw Clark's team mate Peter Arundell, getting his first taste of the dunes, barge his way into the top four, tussling with Hill and Gurney ahead for second. By the end of the lap the Scot was off and away at the front, leaving Hill at the head of a train featuring Gurney, Arundell, John Surtees, Phil Hill and Bruce McLaren. Further back came the privateers and many of the second drivers for the leading teams, while a poor start for Jack Brabham, possibly due to his Indy efforts, put the Australian at the back of the pack. By the time the cars came past the pits for a second time, only Hill, Gurney, Arundell and Surtees could be considered a threat to Clark, the works Coopers slipping back into the grips of Richie Ginther. Once Surtees dealt with Arundell the possible challengers to Clark were further reduced, the second Lotus racer unable to keep the pace, leaving four in the fight. By the end of the fifth lap, Clark had built a three second lead over his hunters, with Hill just fending off Gurney and Surtees for the time being. Behind the leading quartet came Arundell all on his own, the Englishman looking set to have a lonely race in the points, while Phil Hill and McLaren worked together to keep Ginther at bay. Elsewhere, Lorenzo Bandini dropped out of the race early on with an engine issue, the only having seven cylinders at its disposal, while Jo Siffert was having fuel system issues in his new . Chris Amon, meanwhile, was having a good race to keep in the shadow of Ginther ahead, while Brabham began to pick off the stragglers at the back of the field. There was also heart break at the back, however, as Carel Godin de Beaufort, the most widely recognised Dutch racing driver of the period, retired in his veteran after a total engine failure. This was in stark contrast to Clark, who set a new lap record on lap six to pull ever further ahead of the rest, before settling at a consistent pace of 1:33.0 to build his lead by a few tenths each lap. By lap fifteen, the Scot was over five seconds clear of Hill, just after Surtees elbowed his way past Gurney for third, although the trio still ran as one. Elsewhere, Brabham was putting together a majestic display to carve his way up the order. Unseen by the cameras, the Australian claimed position after position before sweeping past Ginther and the two works Coopers with relative ease through Tarzan, just as Phil Hill dropped down to run in tenth. McLaren tried to go with his old team mate for a time, but the two-time World Champion was on a mission to catch Arundell, with McLaren having to also be wary of an impressive display from fellow Antipodean Amon after he swept past Ginther. Back with the leaders, and it seemed that Brabham's charge was timely one, for Gurney dropped away from the group with suspension failure. Or so it seemed, for it was only after the engineers had poked and prodded everything that the New Yorker realised that it was actually a spoke on the steering wheel that had failed, meaning what he was experiencing was simulated instability. The solution to this diagnosis should have been a simple change of steering wheel, but the Brabham team did not have one spare. On the verge of being sent out with the broken one, safety was opted for over risk once it was clear that Gurney could not catch the leaders, and so the American racer was out. As Gurney stepped out of the cockpit, Hill was being thrown all about in his, for the had developed a violent misfire. A vapour-lock in the injector system kept cutting the engine out, before fuel suddenly flooded into the engine and brought the car back to life again as all eight cylinders sparked to life. The result was as if the Englishman was stamping on the brakes when the engine died, only to be slammed into from behind when it suddenly reignited. All this allowed Surtees to pass with ease as Clark steamed on, while Hill fell steadily into the sights of Arundell. Hill's problems were being shared by the sister car of Ginther, although the American's engine refused to start after one violent sequence leaving him out of the contention. As this was going on, Team Lotus were signalling frantically to Arundell, Colin Chapman urging him to get a move on to catch Hill and escape the charging Brabham. The rookie responded magnificently to run only a few tenths shy of team mate Clark's pace as he began to catch the ailing Hill, while the Scot in the lead of the race continued to pound round. about to become one of the many drivers lapped multiple times by race leader Clark.]] By half distance Clark had a half a minute lead over Surtees, who himself had a 30 second advantage over Hill, still out of reach of Arundell and Brabham. This came at a time when the wind changed direction, prompting both Phil Hill and Jo Bonnier to come into the pits in the incorrect belief that they had suspension damage. Clark too noticed the change at that time, the Scot stating after the race that the balance of his Lotus had shifted, particularly through one corner which he initially had to dance his way through on the throttle, only to later come through the same corner smoothly. A few laps later and the Hill/Arundell/Brabham dogfight was about to get underway, the limping BRM being caught at a fair rate by the two behind. Yet, the rookie Arundell was to be denied the challenge of taking on two World Champions at once, for the Climax engine in the back of Brabham's car died on lap 44, just as he lined up a move into Tarzan. A few laps later a particularly violent judder from the BRM meant Hill lost more time than usual down the straight, and so Arundell cruised past with relative ease to lay claim to third. Once Hill fell a lap behind, the Englishman dived into the pits to call time on his race. Or at least he would have done, had his mechanics not been able to experiment with Ginther's car which was back in action but well out of the running. A funnel and bucket of water were awaiting Hill as the Englishman came to a stop, and with amazing speed, the water was poured down the funnel into the bottom of the cockpit, where the fuel lines ran to the injector, to cool the lines. Problem solved, and his own body heat reduced, Hill sprinted out of the pits to try and claw himself back onto the podium, just as Arundell pulled aside to let Clark come charging through to lap him. Amon and McLaren had slipped by Hill before he got back under way, but they were quickly dealt with as the BRM returned to its early race pace. Clark had eased off considerably once Arundell went a lap down, the two Lotuses running a few seconds apart as Hill began to close in on the latter. Yet, just as the Englishman got within sight of his vastly more inexperienced compatriot, the vapour lock returned and the BRM was back to bronking, leaving him to fight a rear guard action for the rest of the race. The rest of the race saw Surtees continue on with some concern, the Englishman not confident with the engine in his car in the final stages, although he was not to be troubled by Arundell. The top three remained unchanged to the end, while Hill kept Amon at bay once the latter managed to drop McLaren. Indeed, the final laps would not prove too kindly to the factory Cooper driver, as he dropped out of the points just four laps from the finish when Bob Anderson came charging past for sixth after a late race push. Results The full results for the are outlined below: ** Hailwood was still classified despite retiring as he had completed enough of the race distance. Milestones *Maiden pole position for . *50th start for . *Final Grand Prix start for Carel Godin de Beaufort (28 in total). *Last start for a built chassis. *Thirtieth victory for a powered car. *Second and final podium for Peter Arundell. Standings Victory for Jim Clark left the Scot level on points with Graham Hill at the top of the standings, the latter judged to be leading by virtue of his more dominant display in Monte Carlo. Peter Arundell was an impressive third in his debut season, the Englishman having scored a second successive podium, while Richie Ginther swapped with Clark to leave the Netherlands in fourth. Also making ground was John Surtees after his second place, with nine drivers now on the board after two races. leapt into the lead of the Intercontinental Cup for Manufacturers table with Clark's victory, taking a one point lead over . The season was still young, however, although the six point gap back to already looked ominous. They were more underthreat from the entries of Reg Parnell Racing, while and looked to build on their early scores. References Images and Videos: *Sporti, 'File:Start of 1964 Dutch Grand Prix.jpg', commons.wikimedia.org, (WikiMedia: Commons, 21/12/2012), https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Start_of_1964_Dutch_Grand_Prix.jpg, (Accessed 24/06/2016) *Sporti, 'File:Clark at 1964 Dutch Grand Prix (9).jpg', commons.wikimedia.org, (WikiMedia: Commons, 21/12/2012), https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Clark_at_1964_Dutch_Grand_Prix_(9).jpg, (Accessed 24/06/2016) References: Category:Grand Prix articles Category:Dutch Grand Prix Category:1964 Grands Prix